Music Preview: Dodgy @ Bush Hall

Homegrown Britpoppers Dodgy played a semi acoustic secret show at Highgate’s Boogaloo Bar(9 January) in advance of a huge album launch show at the Bush Hall on 22 Feburary.

The trio who made London their home in the early 90s played much of their forthcoming album Stand Upright In A Cooler Place — their first since singer Nigel Clark returned -- semi acoustically but will be fully amped and drummed up for the Bush Hall show.

The Boogaloo's set of new songs was bookended by Trippedand Fell and Raggedstone Hill, harmonious tales of a monk falling in love with a girl and forced to climb a Malvern hill on his hands and knees, for falling foul of the bountiful evils of the flesh, 800 years ago. Deep stuff.

Shadows and Only A Heartbeat maintained Dodgy’s trademark 60s melodies with mature inflections, showing an integrity often missing from reunited bands. Indeed a reluctant airing of 97 single Found You, sounded tired compared to the new material, testament to the Stand Upright In A Cooler Place’s unfamiliar quality.

The highlights though had to be an on the spot song about Thiery Henry’s winning come-back goal down the road earlier that night, and the band's comedy banter, which hasn’t diminished over the years.

Clark said about the time taken betwen albums:

What’s the rush? We’ve taken our time to make sure this album is better than our last one…and that was brilliant. The fans deserve it and we believe that the songs are good enough to win us a whole new audience.

Reunions can be a tired affair, especially when accompanied by the dreaded ‘new material’, but Dodgy’s show at Bush hall can’t be more highly recommended after tonight’s low key return.

Dodgy play Bush Hall 22 February, Bush Hall, 310 Uxbridge Road, London, W12 7LJ £16.50+bf. Stand Upright In A Cooler Place is released 20 February on Strike Back Records.